Trying to make up for lackluster ratings from TV's traditional "new season" back in September/October ... the networks are offering lots of new programming this January. I'll try to highlight as much as possible here, but the next two weeks are going to be murder!


McNamara/Troy returns tonight!

Starting tonight, we've got the premiere of Scrubs on a new network. Yes, the medical-based sitcom is jumping ship from NBC to ABC beginning at 9 tonight with 2 back-to-back episodes.

The Biggest Loser: Couples debuts a new season over on NBC with a two-hour premiere beginning at 8 p.m. Just in time to make us all feel guilty about all those holiday treats!

The Mentalist returns with an all new episode at 9 p.m. on CBS. Jane quite the CBI to follow lead on Red John. I'll be tuning in ...

90210 returns to the CW (does anyone care? Even I'm giving up on this one) at 8 p.m., when Annie overhearsa phone call that raises suspicions.

As mentioned in the prior post -- VH1 offers up the debut episodes of Confessions of a Teen Idol at 9, followed by Brett Michael's Rock of Love Bus at 10.

I'll be taping the Real Housewives of Orange County on Bravo at 10 p.m. Tonight the wives get catty at the race track!

Because the crux of my evening will be the season premiere on FX of one of my Top 5 TV Shows of 2008 -- Nip/Tuck! Tonight picks up where we left off last season with Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) getting stabbed in the back, literally, by his stalking, murderous agent played by Sharon Gless! Apparently, the dashing and promiscuous Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon, come to Mama!) will arrive in time to save his life ... thus keeping him around for the next 7 episodes!!


The Dudes from Pineapple Express

But if you can't find anything worth watching, hit your local DVD store and rent a copy of Pineapple Express, out new today! It's the latest from Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad) and stars Seth Rogan and James Franco as a couple of stoners getting into various mishaps. I haven't seen it, but I plan to. It looks funny.

Elfman's Favorite TV Shows of 2008

5) The Mentalist
Okay its not Masterpiece Theater, but I really like this show.The Mentalist is pure entertainment. It's mindless TV, but it's good Mindless TV.
Forget the dark sub plot and comparisons to USA's Psyched . The Mentalist delivers an hour of neatly wrapped crime solving suspense, but with a bit of a twist. Simon Baker (The Guardian) plays Patrick Jane, a former phony psychic who now works for the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) now using only his observational skills to assist the team in solving murder cases. The show goes a long way on the charisma of Baker and a stellar cast including Robin Tunney (Prison Break). An hour of polished crime drama. Deep but not too Deep.



4) Mad Men
No other television show in recent memory has been so critically acclaimed (if viewer hungry), then Mad Men. And it has the Emmy and Golden Globe Awards to back this up. Madmen explores the deceptive and twisted world of power advertising in the 1960's. It follows the high pressure life of Don Draper, the best rep at Sterling Cooper, and certainly one of the best on Madison Avenue. Don, among others has some dark secrets in his past however. The show is a slow moving character study of successful but misguided troubled people and it sucks you into their lives on a weekly basis. Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Moss, John Slattery, and January Jones head up a cast that defines excellence. It is also interesting to see how many things have changed for the better since the 60's when you see all the inequality for women, blacks and gays of the period. Another sign of the times is the amount of drinking on the job, constant smoking by everyone in the cast and even littering.



3) Brothers and Sisters
Want to feel better about your own screwed up dysfunctional extended family for at least one hour a week? Then you must tune in to ABC Sunday Nights at 10 for the very entertaining Brothers and Sisters. The prime time sudser follows the lives of The Walker Clan, led by intrusive, but loving matriarch Nora Walker (Oscar and Emmy Winner Sally Field). The death of William Walker leaves the family to deal with the matter of running the family winery and the discoveries of all his extramarital affairs and indiscretions. Seems there is always a new Walker sibling showing up at the door step.
The plots are well written and finely polished for a soap covering the gambit of soap storylines including politics, addiction, gay marriage, and forbidden love..This show should be sponsored by Pepsid AC because I don't know how any of them get through a family dinner without sever indigestion.
Besides Field the cast includes seasoned professionals Rob Lowe, Colista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths.



2) Raising the Bar
I accidentally caught this show while channel surfing on Monday night and am extremely glad I did. From Emmy winning producer Steven Bochco(NYPD Blue), Raising the Bar follows a group of young public defenders in their daily lives and courtroom battles for the underdog with the powerful DA. Each week offers a gripping hard hitting drama but with a lot of heart there too. It stars Mark-Paul Gosselear (NYPD Blue, Saved by The Bell) as Jerry Kellerman, one of the most idealistic of these young attorneys who leaves no stone unturned for the rights of his clients. He has become one of the finest young actors on television today. His hair, however will remain a moot point. The superb cast is rounded out by Gloria Reuben (ER), Jane Kaczencrek (Malcom in the Middle) and Teddy Sears (One Life to Live).



1) Bravo Network
There's a new melting pot in America and it's right here on Bravo TV. No other network has ever assembled such an eclectic group of diverse interesting characters. How can you not be intrigued by the rich and powerful, sometimes back-stabbing women of the Real Housewives series, notably Nene (Atlanta) and Vicki (Orange County)? And how about Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out, who has raised OCD to an art form?
Bravo didn't invent reality TV, but they sure perfected it with shows like Millionaire Matchmaker and Top Design. But nowhere is this more evident then in the Network's two most successful shows, Project Runway and Top Chef. These shows take you behind the scenes of the competitive worlds of chefs and upcoming designers and their claw to the top. The judges are smart, tough and funny with Chef Tom Colicchio on Chef and Michael Cors doing the honors on Runway. They've got eye candy too with Top Chef's food-tasting temptress Padma and Runway's Heidi Klum, the queen of Victoria's Secret. There's also father figure and style mentor Tim Gunn, who has become a superstar in his own right from the designing show.
And how can you forget some of the contestants. There was the constant back-stabbing between Betty and Marcel on Top Chef season Two. Some of the chefs even went as far as to try to scalp Marcel during a night of drinking. And how about the knife wielding road runner Hung, from season 3?
Runway has its favorites too. There was season 4 winner Christian, who showed superstar designing talent and coined the phrase "That's Fierce". And the constant whining and underhandedness of style princess Kenley from last season. Bravo for me is Must Watch TV.

My Top 5
I don't know why I've been agonizing over this, maybe because it seems so final ... here it is ... My Top 5 TV Shows of 2008:



5. Sons of Anarchy (F/X)
This is the only "new" show to make my list, and for good reason. When I first read about it in TV Guide, it was heavily compared to the Sopranos. As a fan of the latter, I had to check SOA out. And I wasn't disappointed! Starring Brit export Charlie Hunnam (another reason I wanted to watch), Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal (in a stunning, career-reviving performance), the show centers around the lives of a close-knit motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in the San Joaquin Valley in Northern California. The club specializes in running guns and ammo around the country and look-out if you decide to get in their way! Well-written and even more well-acted, this show easily fills the void left by my favorite Jersey gangsters. I only wish it were on HBO or another pay channel where it could get real nasty. Who knew Peg Bundy could be so tough?



4. nip/tuck (F/X)
It was early this past year when we last saw Drs. Sean McNamara and Christian Troy, but they'll always be close to my heart (and I'm sooo looking forward to the eight new episodes starting in January!). The show, originally set in Miami, moved last season to Hollywood and the already over-the-top shenanigans got even higher. Dylan Walsh's McNamara became a consultant on Hearts and Scalpels, a show loosely based on his own practice; dated a starlet with an eating disorder (doesn't everybody in H'wood?) and was stalked by his murderous agent (Sharon Gless, was that Cagney or Lacey?). While the hottest Doc on TV (McDreamy and McSteamy can't compare), with the biggest libido, Julian McMahon's Troy continued to bed everybody - oh and unintentionally (??) threw one of his problematic conquests off a roof to her death. Bye-Bye Gina! Nip/tuck is cheese at its best, I absolutely love it! Who knows ... maybe the Carver will return next season ... now that would make my New Year!



3. The Shows of Bravo
The Elfman and I totally agree on this one! Thinking about my Top 5, I realized I watch a lot of Bravo! He put it better than I ever could, but here's my rundown starting with the show that put Bravo on the map - Inside the Actors Studio. Though not in any permanent time slot, I still look for it on a regular basis and not for the guests. I find host James Lipton fascinating! Remember he made my most fascinating list last month, and for good reason. If you can, check out his book - Inside, Inside - you'll see what I mean. If you're a regular reader of this blog you already know that I love Project Runway, Top Chef and all the Real Housewives. But I also make time for Million Dollar Listing (Chad, get a real hairdo dude!), Tabitha's Salon Takeover (someone's gonna kill that woman), Sheer Genius (Kim Vo - WTH?), The Rachel Zoe Show (Brad, grow a pair) and Flipping Out (Jeff Lewis, don't ever change man). Looking to 2009, I can't wait for these shows to return, with the exception of Project Runway, of course, who's move to Lifetime is still being held up in court. So I say Bravo to Bravo, my favorite Guilty Pleasure!



2. Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction drama that deals with the machinations and activities of the Cardiff branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute. An anagram of Doctor Who, from which this show is spun, Torchwood delves into darker subject matter and is also sexier and adult oriented. Starring the dashing John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, a man who can't die, the team deals mainly with incidents involving extraterrestrials and time- and universe-travel. A little cheesy, but that's how I like my Sci-Fi, Torchwood got even better in its second season. Although not currently airing on BBC America, the show can be found on DVD. Try Netflix.



1. LOST
Is anyone surprised that this made my No. 1? Ever since Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on a supposedly deserted island on September 22, 2004, my TV world has never been the same. After watching the first three episodes, I was, well, lost! And I haven't found my way back yet, although last season really pulled out all the stops. What other show could possibly end their season by moving - yes, moving - an entire island? Season 3 ended with us finding out that some castaways actually got off the island and went home, while Season 4 showed us everything that led up to that fateful day, leaving us wondering what happened to everybody else? Sun lost Jin, Claire found her dead father in Jacob's cabin (and he seemed alive), Desmond found Penny, Jack and Kate left Sawyer behind and we found out, after a year of speculating, who was in the coffin. Are you LOST reading this? If so, too bad. If you haven't been watching, it's too late now unless you go back on DVD and watch from the beginning. I can't remember a show that had me debating theories with complete strangers before. And I mean heated debates. Fans of this show are passionate and for good reason. Looking forward to its return on January 21!

Honorable Mentions: Since we limited it to 5, here's the rest I considered good TV, in no particular order. Survivor: Gabon, Big Bang Theory, Dexter, Entourage, Skins (another BBC show), Doctor Who, Californication and The Graham Norton Show.

Happy New Year Everyone - don't spend tonight watching TV - go out and enjoy!

We have a "new" new No. 1 show! Although CSI returned to its No. 1 spot at the top of the Nielsen list this past week with over 20 million viewers tuning in to see Laurence Fishburn’s first episode, the previous week’s prime time ratings king was CBS’ new hit The Mentalist!

I’ve heard nothing but good things about this show from its beginning in October and I’ve always enjoyed looking at its star, Australian actor Simon Baker. However, I haven’t yet watched an episode. But with 19 million viewers now tuning in, I’ve decided to give it a shot tonight at 9 p.m.

Afterall, it’s the first new-season show in recent memory to land on the top of the charts – now that’s saying something!



The Mentalist stars Baker as Patrick Jane, an independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who has an incredible track record for solving serious crimes by using his intense skills of observation (a former con-man-turned-cop).

On tonight’s episode the evidence in a poisoning death points to Jane’s former shrink as a suspect.

For more information or to watch visit http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_mentalist/

Charm School Girls

Ok, I'm gonna try to keep it short and sweet today, wish me luck.Last night, I caught up on VH1's latest skankfest Rock of Love Charm School (originally aired Sunday at 9 pm, but will undoubtedly repeat all week). This show is a carbon copy of last year's Flava of Love Charm School, changing out Monique as hostess, for Sharon Osbourne.
And instead of the "ladies" from Flava of Love, this one features the "ladies" of Brett Michael's Rock of Love. Fourteen of the worst of the worst from Rock's two seasons gathered at some mansion in Los Angeles to battle it out charm school-style for a chance at winning $100,000 (yeah, that's about $60,00 after taxes - it's not gonna go as far as they're hoping). Of course, one can't deny that the publicity one gets from this show won't help (hurt) a career ...
In either case, it's up to Sharon to turn these sorry subjects into "ladies." Good Luck!
All the faves are back: Raven, Jessica, Kristy Jo, Destiny, Rodeo, superdrunk Courtney (she passed out the first day on Rock of Love and did it again last night), Brandi C., Brandi M., Angelique, Megan, Dallas and yes, season one runner-up Heather (who "loved" Brett so much she actually got his name tattooed on the back of her neck).
I've already written too much regarding this mess. But, just to let you know, at the end of every excruciating episode, one contestant will be expelled from Charm School and last night it was the aforementioned drunk Courtney. Hey, at least Sharon arranged for her to go to rehab!
Don't waste your time. It was really bad ...But just in case you don't want to heed my warning, you can check it out at http://blog.vh1.com/2008-09-08/the-charm-school-rock-of-love-girls-cast-the-first-season-ladies/

Over on ABC at 10 pm, Denny Crane continued his hilarious shenanigans on Boston Legal. Who'd ever thought that William Shatner could be so funny and entertaining! He totally makes the show, along with James Spader.
Spader, who started out his career playing the worst teen villians in John Hughes' movies, is the last person I would've thought I would like. But, hey, if I'm ever accused of a crime, I totally want his Alan Shore to defend me!
Don't miss the opportunity to catch this fine show while it enjoys its last season. For info visit http://www.abc.go.com/primetime/bostonlegal/index?pn=index

Shatner as the wacky Crane

So, moving on to tonight: It's the return of Fox's superhit Fringe! I found myself really missing this show last week (it wasn't on due to the debate). Tonight's episode finds dangerous and deadly occurrences following a man who has the ability to harness electricity. Dr. Bishop (the superb John Noble) enlists homing pigeons to help him break the case. Fringe starts at 9 pm. For info or to watch previous eps visit
http://www.fox.com/fringe/

Over on CBS at the same time, Aussie hunk Simon Baker stars in the second ep of the new hit The Mentalist - When a high school girl's body washes up on the beach, CBI investigator Patrick Jane (Baker) sets a trap to get a group of surfers to turn on one another and reveal what really happened.
I haven't checked out this one yet, but coworkers enjoyed last week's show. For info visit
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_mentalist/


The "Real" Housewives

At 9 pm Bravo will bring the rich biches back - I mean, The Real Housewives of Atlanta - for their second episode. I have to admit, this is my kind of reality TV. You just have to marvel at the way these broads can spend money! And, of course, money doesn't buy happiness, as is well illustrated on this show! Check it out http://www.bravotv.com/Real_Housewives_Of_Atlanta/season/1/index.php

Following at 10 pm is the season finale of The Rachel Zoe Project. This show just caught my attention about two weeks on the recommendation of a coworker and I love it! It's ending way too soon for me. Rachel Zoe is a "celebrity stylist" and spends most of her time running all over the world (she's based in LA), finding the "hero" dress that some big star needs to wear to some awards show, or even for a whole press tour.
Tonight it looks like Rachel may have to fire one of her assistants! Will is be mean girl Taylor or nice guy Brad? My vote's for Taylor, she's really been making things difficult for Brad lately, and he's always stepped up to the challenge. Of course, probably no one will get fired, it was just a ploy to make us all watch!
For info visit http://www.bravotv.com/The_Rachel_Zoe_Project/season/1//index.php
Mean Girl Taylor


For those of you who asked yesterday, CMT will be rebroadcasting last weekend's episode of My Big Fat Redneck Wedding tonight at 10:30 pm. Enjoy the wacky redneck nuptials of Jeanne and Phil (refer to yesterday's post for more info). Just prior from 9-10:30 CMT is airing the first two episodes of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team. A fine show that both guys and girls can enjoy - for totally different reasons, you'll see what I mean.
Visit http://www.cmt.com/ for information on either show.
Jeanne & Phil tying the knot


And for the hopeless romantic (girls, you know who I mean), E! presents a favorite tonight at 8 pm. Sandra Bullock stars in Hope Floats, as a jilted wife who moves back home with her mother, and is courted by an old boyfriend ... and if you've seen this one, you know who I mean - Justin Matisse, played breathlessly by the gorgeous Harry Connick Jr.
If you haven't seen this one, drop everything and watch it - ladies, you won't be sorry. And if Justin's just not enough, tune in to Late Night with Conan O'Brien on NBC at 12:35 am, where Harry will be promoting his new Lifetime movie Living Proof, premiering Saturday night at 9 pm.
Dreamy Harry Connick Jr.


For the football crowd, get your fix on FX at 7:30 pm with Invincible, the gridiron saga of Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), a 30-year-old sandlot player who earned a spot on the 1976 Philadelphia Eagles. I've seen it, and I recommend it. Enjoy.

Of course, you can always go out and rent/buy Memorial Day Weekend 2008 blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, out today! I know a lot of people have issues with this one (not to mention what the creators of South Park did last week), but I enjoyed it. It's always nice to see Indy in action again ...

I know I said short and sweet, but just a little news ... Terrence Howard is officially out for the Iron Man sequel. He's already been replaced by Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark's best friend and future armor-clad hero War Machine.
According to RopeofSilicon.com, sources close to the deal with Howard say negotiations fell through over financial differences. Careful Terrence, you may be sorry ...
Handsome Howard


And last, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, what were you thinking? I'm talking about the tell-all book coming out today by former Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick. As usual, with "celebrity bios," something scandalous must always be revealed - I mean, why would we want to read it if there wasn't something juicy being offered (remember Barbara Walters scandalous affair with a gentleman of color?).

Anyway, McCormick apparently describes a teen life of debauchery that includes romancing her TV brother Barry "Greg" Williams (who also admits to dating TV mom Florence Henderson for God's sakes), dates with Michael Jackson and Steve Martin (Steve, who knew?), hitting wild Hollywood parties at the Playboy mansion and the home of Sammy Davis Jr., cocaine binges, trading sexual favors for drugs that lead to unwanted pregnancies, and blowing an interview with Steven Spielberg because she was high. Need I go on?
Not enough to get me to read it, but just in case you're interested, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice" hits bookstores today.

Short and sweet, I'll keep trying ...

OK, so I'm guilty! Yes, I spent another LOST Monday with the Sci-Fi channel's 4-episode marathon of my favorite psychological thriller. I won't go into any details, just to say that if you ever wanted to get in on those LOST conspiracy conversations at work, Monday nights provide the perfect chance for you to get caught up for Season 5, debuting in January.

Back on over at ABC last night, Dancin' with the Stars made its season debut. I would say it was a loooong two hours, but I taped it and watched at 11 p.m. And although I said yesterday I could get thru it in about 20 minutes just watching the dancing and critiquing, it actually took about 35 minutes. Which is still way better than 2 hours of mostly filler and commercials!
All the contestants danced last night and one will go home during tonight's broadcast, another 2 hours, from 9-11 p.m. And the fun continues Wednesday night, with a 1-hr. results show at 8 p.m. during which another contestant will be voted off.

Anyway, here's my thoughts ... judge Bruno Tonioli was on fire last night -- where does he come up with those wacky euphemisms? He compared comedian Jeffrey Ross (who I think will be going home tonight) to the horrendous atrocity of Cloverfield in 3D. Cloverfield, for those of you who don't know, featured a gigantic monster lumbering its way thru New York City, knocking down everything in its path. And I think it was a correct comparison. Poor Ross, he seemed to be really trying, but some people just don't have it on the dance floor.
The Cloverfield Monster

I can't say much more for celebrity chef (is this guy still famous?) Rocco DiSpirito. He faired a little better than Ross, but not much.

82-year-old Cloris Leachman stole the show, not with her dancing, but with her antics at the judges stand. She slung her bare leg up and on the table right in front of a flabbergasted Bruno (the first person ever to leave him speechless), got on her knees and prayed in front of Len Goodman and practically sat in Kari Ann's lap!
I'll also put Susan Lucci in my bottom three. Don't get me wrong, she looked great! But she also looked incredibly uncomfortable performing her segment. I'm only hoping her strong fan base keeps her around for a while ... her partner, Tony Dovolani is delicious!

My faves from last night were the adorable Cody Linley (of Hannah Montana fame). He lucked out by getting 2-time champ Julianne Hough as a partner. She makes everybody look good.
Also, after admitting he was the "worst dancer in N'Sync, Lance Bass proved he can work it on the dance floor. I'm looking forward to his improvement in future episodes. His partner is newcomer Lacey Schwimmer.

Derek Hough
And the top vote getter from the judges was model/TV spokesperson Brooke Burke, who was lucky enough to land Julianne's bro, the super cute Derek Hough, as her dance partner.
My gut tells me that Maurice Greene is also one to watch this season. He was the last dancer of the evening and he has the other 2-time champ, Cheryl Burke, to guide him straight to the top. His dancing style was reminiscent of Season 3 winer and fave Emmett Smith!

My primary reason for watching, though, was the return of my fave pro -- Maksim Chmerkovsky! He's the hottest thing to hit the dance floor since Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever! Unfortunately, his partner is Olympian Misty May-Treanor, and he's really got his work cut out for him. The girl doesn't have any dancing experience, but she's an athlete, and athletes have a dedication that has been unmatched by other contestants so far (remember Apollo Ohno and last season's winner Kristi Yamaguchi?). Maybe he'll be able to turn it around to their advantage! We'll have to wait and see.
Overall, the show's contestants were not as impressive as previous seasons, with some even earning 4's from the judges. "I forgot we had a 4," quipped host Tom Bergeron of the low score. Overall scores ranges from 23-12 (Burke and Ross, respectively).
For more info visit the official website at http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/index?pn=index

On TV Tonight: Australia's handsome Simon Baker returns to network TV on CBS at 9 p.m. as The Mentalist. He stars as the roguish mentalist, whoonce made his living fooling people into believing he was a psychic.

Though he cannot really read minds, he developed a keen intuition about people, leading him to his current occupation as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation on murder cases. For information and full episodes visit http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_mentalist/

Over on NBC, the competition continues on The Biggest Loser: Families, with a special guest appearance. Fresh from his debut (and possibly last night) on Dancin' with the Stars, Rocco DiSpirito teaches the contestants to shop for and make healthy and affordable meals.

I'll be reluctantly tuning in to 90210 on the CW at 8 p.m. Only because E! News reported over the weekend that Luke Perry IS in talks to reprise his role as Dylan MacKay!! YAY! As I reported last week, Brenda revealed in a conversation with Kelly that Dylan is indeed the father of Kelly's son Sammy (my only reason to keep watching).

And, Fox is offering up another vexxing episode of it's new JJ Abrahms thriller Fringe! I'm really getting into this show. It's not too late to check it out. Tonight's episode will center on another occurance in "The Pattern" featuring a bus full of frozen commuters. For more information visit http://www.fox.com/fringe/
]
FX is rerunning last week's episode of Sons of Anarchy tonight at 11 p.m. It's not too late to get in on this fine show. Think of it as the Sopranos on Harleys.

So, against my better judgment, I actually watched The Hills last night, after completely missing last week's episode. It just happened to be re-airing at 11 p.m. last night, just when my LOST marathon was ending. And for something completely different, Lauren Conrad was MIA for most of the episode ... she was on some trip and only arrived back home at the very end and guess what? The show wasn't really better/worse without her. All these "characters" (I mean we all KNOW its scripted, right?) are so interchangeable that it really doesn't matter who's onscreen.
Unfortunately, next week's ep actually looks interesting with Heidi's mom coming to visit. And guess what? She's going to give Heidi a hard time about her fiance Spencer (does anybody LIKE this guy???)

TV on DVD: Well, not exactly, but it was one of HBO's most successful series. Sex and the City: The Movie bows on DVD today. And, yes, being a huge fan of the show, I ran right to the theater to see it last June. Although critics complained that it was like a 2-hr. episode, I loved it! I mean, that's what we the fans wanted wasn't it?

Anyway, if you're a fan of the show, I highly recommend the movie. If you've never seen the show, it doesn't make much sense to watch the movie. Enough said.